Ralph Adimari
Encyclopedia
Ralph T. Adimari was an editor
, researcher, and historian
of the dime novel
, a class of popular fiction that thrived in the mid to late nineteenth century and into the twentieth century. The term "dime novels" refers to inexpensive, cheaply produced paperbacks and serials, often romance, adventure, westerns, or detective stories. A prodigious collector, Adimari did extensive research on dime novels, and published many articles in Dime Novel Round-Up before 1940, and at least 20 articles between 1954 and 1964. He also wrote a piece titled "Saga of a Dime Novelist" which appeared in American Book Collector in early 1935. Through correspondence with fellow dime novel historian and Dime Novel Round-Up editor Ralph F. Cummings, Adimari acquired the letters and notebooks of William J. Benners
(1863-1940), a dime novel historian, author, and agent, and wrote a biography of Benners for the DNRU. Building upon Benners's work identifying dime novel authors, Adimari compiled detailed lists of authors and pseudonyms, titles, and publishers, definitively solving several mysteries about dime novel authorship.
Adimari was born Raphael Adimare on October 19, 1902. He lived in the New York City
area for most of his life, including Mount Vernon and Suffolk. In addition to his work on dime novels, he co-edited a 1936 collection of Walt Whitman
's essays, titled New York Dissected. Adimari died November 1970 in Suffolk, New York.
The Raplph Adimari Papers are housed in the Fales Library and Special Collections at New York University
's Bobst Library. The papers comprise correspondence from fellow dime novel collectors and historians, including Edward G. Levy, Dr. Albert Johannsen, Dime Novel Round-Up editors Edward T. LeBlanc and Ralph Cummings, the latter from whom Adimari acquired William Benners's papers, and writers including Col. Charles D. Randolph, aka "Buckskin Bill," known for his dime-novel and Western themed poetry. Also included are notebooks of research, manuscripts, newspaper clippings related to dime novel authors, photographs, and Victoriana. The William J. Benners Papers, also housed in Fales, includes several of Benners's notebooks that were subsequently used and annotated by Adimari.
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
, researcher, and historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
of the dime novel
Dime novel
Dime novel, though it has a specific meaning, has also become a catch-all term for several different forms of late 19th-century and early 20th-century U.S...
, a class of popular fiction that thrived in the mid to late nineteenth century and into the twentieth century. The term "dime novels" refers to inexpensive, cheaply produced paperbacks and serials, often romance, adventure, westerns, or detective stories. A prodigious collector, Adimari did extensive research on dime novels, and published many articles in Dime Novel Round-Up before 1940, and at least 20 articles between 1954 and 1964. He also wrote a piece titled "Saga of a Dime Novelist" which appeared in American Book Collector in early 1935. Through correspondence with fellow dime novel historian and Dime Novel Round-Up editor Ralph F. Cummings, Adimari acquired the letters and notebooks of William J. Benners
William J. Benners
William James Benners, Jr. was a writer, publisher, and historian of dime novels, a class of popular fiction that flourished in the mid- and late-nineteenth century and into the early twentieth century...
(1863-1940), a dime novel historian, author, and agent, and wrote a biography of Benners for the DNRU. Building upon Benners's work identifying dime novel authors, Adimari compiled detailed lists of authors and pseudonyms, titles, and publishers, definitively solving several mysteries about dime novel authorship.
Adimari was born Raphael Adimare on October 19, 1902. He lived in the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
area for most of his life, including Mount Vernon and Suffolk. In addition to his work on dime novels, he co-edited a 1936 collection of Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman
Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
's essays, titled New York Dissected. Adimari died November 1970 in Suffolk, New York.
The Raplph Adimari Papers are housed in the Fales Library and Special Collections at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
's Bobst Library. The papers comprise correspondence from fellow dime novel collectors and historians, including Edward G. Levy, Dr. Albert Johannsen, Dime Novel Round-Up editors Edward T. LeBlanc and Ralph Cummings, the latter from whom Adimari acquired William Benners's papers, and writers including Col. Charles D. Randolph, aka "Buckskin Bill," known for his dime-novel and Western themed poetry. Also included are notebooks of research, manuscripts, newspaper clippings related to dime novel authors, photographs, and Victoriana. The William J. Benners Papers, also housed in Fales, includes several of Benners's notebooks that were subsequently used and annotated by Adimari.